Over the next few days, my brother and I snaked our way down the gorgeous and exiting, yet frightening route that is the Pacific Coast Highway. Tsunami Hazard signs, sheer cliffs and lack of guardrails made the trip thrilling – and we found ourselves watching a gorgeous sunset each night over the ocean. I put my feet in the Pacific for the first time – Greg saw his first whale (from shore).

We crossed into California, hoping to get to Eureka for the night and start out driving through the Redwoods the next morning. Tired and starving (there is little in California north of Eureka besides the gorgeous beaches and huge trees) we pulled into Eureka and looked for “pubs” on my brother’s GPS. Seeing the word ‘Brewery’ on the list made me quite happy – and we navigated our way into the Lost Coast Brewery.

It being, coincidentally, Superbowl Sunday, we looked in the windows to find the place comfortably filled with people staring up at a large tv watching the big game. It being January, the place wasn’t packed, however, so we decided to go in.

When we walked in, a giant paper mache and furry spider descended in front our our faces as the door closed. Looking up after laughing I saw that it was rigged to lift as the door opened, and descend to startle the guests. I wonder if hearing the occasional “eep!” is used to notify the staff that someone has arrived.

The atmosphere of the place was full of funkiness and art seemingly made by the same artist as the door spider (and reminding me of the illustrations on Flying Dog labels) – was placed up high, and the whole thing had a kind of saloon feel. The Superbowl fans collectively cheered or groaned as they watched intently. I was delighted to see that not everyone was routing for the same team, and there was a bit of cross table bantering going on after each play. It felt… fun!

Our server, Nate, took our order with enthusiasm and seemed to be really enjoying what he did. I had a roast beef sandwich with ranch dressing – a house specialty – and it was to die for! I managed to try a few of their beers while I was there, and between Greg and I we did a lot of passing back and forth.

Harvest Wheat – This one came served with a lemon, and was light, thin and drinkable. It was not as spicy as some other wheat/hefeweizens that I’d tried and was very easy to like. My brother declared that this one was his favorite of the night.

8 Ball Stout – A dark, chocolaty and warm smell. The chocolate and caramel malts were present, though I wished it had been a little thicker in consistency. Still good in my book, though.

Raspberry Brown – A brown ale with a slightly artificial raspberry taste. Not as harmonious as I would have liked to taste, but not terrible at all.

Great White – Hefeweizen Style – not served with a lemon or orange but plenty of cloudy goodness. This one I have actually seen bottled in stores, and I think it would make a terrific summer sipper.

This was a truly fun adventure, and a great social top for us. Despite the outcome of the game, even the people routing for the losers clicked glasses with those cheering for the winners – a polite conciliatory gesture that seemed to sum up the attitude of the night. We felt like locals, and we felt completely at ease. Our stomachs satisfied and our imaginations swirling, we headed in for the night, anticipating like kids before christmas, the redwood journey ahead.

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Michael Demers

I have also visited Lost Coast Brewing. It’s a nice place with a great local feel, just the sort of spot to duck into for a respite from the thick pacific fog. Just down the road in the town of Fortuna is another great brewpub. The Eel River Brewery features some outstanding organic beers. They also serve beef that is raised on their organic spent grain.